COMPARISONS

The Images of Arthur C. Pillsbury, Ansel Adams and owned by Rick Norsigian

Who took the photos and what is at risk for the Adams Family today?

In about 2000 Richard Norsigian purchased a box of glass negatives and other items, all related to photography. Included were envelopes containing nitrate film. The envelopes accurately identified the images within. Frightened that the nitrate film might explode, as he had been told nitrate film might do, Rick disposed of it.

​ He then began considering who might have taken these photos. Some research followed. Leroy Radonovich, then official photographer at Yosemite and the expert on Yosemite photographers and such relevant issues as what systems they used for cataloguing their photos, told Rick to contact Melinda Pillsbury-Foster, which Rick did in 2003. Pillsbury-Foster agreed to come by and view the images the next time she was on her way to Yosemite. Viewing the images she said they appeared to bo very like those of her Grandfather, Arthur C. Pillsbury, who was the
Official Photographer of Yosemite from 1915 until he was forced out of the Valley at the end of 1927. These were Production Photos, taken of well known Yosemite and Monterrey locations which were marketed as postcards and to be framed. Cropped, these had also been used for other purposes. A typical 'shoot' by Pillsbury included multiple photographs taken to fulfill orders for books, newspapers, and other prublications along with orders from other postcard producers, for instance Detroit Publishing Company.

​ Pillsbury's business was set up to provide very affordable products with beautiful and naturally accurate images to the public as part of his mission, which was to deepen the understanding of nature. In this way, he believed, people would empathize with the all forms of life and so be moved through their understanding to perserve them.

2c.Pillsbury print of "Vernal Falls" from pg.89 -"YOSEMITE AND ITS HIGH SIERRA" by John H. Williams 1921 ed.:

3a.Norsigian's print of "Gates of the Valley":

3b.Pillsbury hand-colored lantern slide of "THE GATES OF YOSEMITE":[confirmed by Alan Ross (A.Adams expert) to match the Norsigian (3a):

"I agree that the tree in question IS in both images ...That being the case, it would seem that both photographs were made by the same photographer – whomever that might be, at the same time with the same camera. Not Adams.